the vacation
by haleigh.l
Summary: Long - very long sorry! - one-shot, based off a challenge. Steph needs a vacation and decides to barter with Ranger to get herself one. Rating for language and a little smut.


This stated a while back as a challenge to write about a vacation. I wrote the first "mini chapter," and then someone (CINDY!) wanted a little more. So I wrote another page or two. Then someone (CINDY!) wanted a little more. After a month, I realized it was nine chapters long and a complete story, so here it is. Since it started out as a lot of little mini-chapters, it might read a big choppy. But hey, at least you don't have to wait a week between chapter!

Rating for language and implied smut. Don't own them, make no profit, etc.

* * *

Mini chapter 1

I shook the snow flakes out of my hair, brushed them off my clothes, and flung myself down on the couch in the Bond's office next to Lula. "Where the hell did this weather come from? I thought it was finally warming up."

Lula didn't glance up from her magazine. "It's gonna stay like this all weekend. You're flying solo, just so's you know. You couldn't drag me outside in this mess."

I looked up at Connie. "All weekend?"

"Ten inches of snow by Monday."

I blew out a sigh and wrapped my arms around myself, trying to warm up. I needed a vacation in the worst way. Being stuck in my tiny apartment due to the nor'easter blowing through didn't count. The door opened again, bringing frigid wind and snow flurries with it.

"Jesus Christ!" Lula said. Snowflakes were sticking to her magazine pages. "Next person who opens that door is gonna get a foot up their ass and—" She glanced up mid-tirade and froze at the sight of Ranger staring at her.

"Uh, not your ass, of course. You gotta nice ass. I'd never think to shove anything up—"

I cut her off with an elbow to the ribs. Her mouth snapped shut and she stared up at Ranger with wide eyes. His lips tilted up in amusement. His gaze swept over me and lingered, the heat in his eyes driving away any leftover cold I'd been feeling. "Babe."

I grinned at him. He got his files from Connie and started to leave. There was a plan forming in my mind. It was probably a dumb plan. Scratch that, it _was_ a dumb plan. There was no probably about it. It was idiotic.

But I was feeling brave, so I followed him outside. He raised an eyebrow at me, but opened the door of the truck and hoisted me into the seat. He came around to the driver's side and started the truck, flipping the heat up to high. "What's up?"

Okay, so I was feeling less brave now, but I would look dumb if I backed out. "I had an idea."

He raised an eyebrow, waiting.

"Do you have plans for the weekend?"

"Just working."

"Anything urgent that can't be put off 'til Monday?"

He studied me for a minute before saying, "No, why?"

My mouth opened and closed a couple times. My bravery had evaporated, just when I needed it. Instead, my heart was pounding and I could feel my face heating up in preparation for the impending humiliation of saying this out loud. A little voice in my head was screaming "Abort! Abort! Danger!"

"Never mind," I said. "It was stupid."

I had the door halfway open and one leg out when he snagged the back of my sweater and pulled me back into the cab of the truck. He reached past me and shut the door. "Spill it, babe."

I glared at him. Well now I really looked dumb. He wouldn't even let me escape with my dignity intact. Fine. I straightened my back and crossed my arms. "I have an idea, and I wanna know what it would cost me."

He raised an eyebrow and waited.

I took a deep breath. "What would it cost me to get you to take me to Bermuda for the weekend?"

He stared at me. "You want me to drop everything and fly to you Bermuda because it's snowing."

I nodded.

"And you want to know what I want in return?"

I nodded again. His lips tilted up. We both knew exactly what he wanted. Ever since Joe and I had hit another off-stage, I'd been looking for an excuse to jump Ranger without all the 'where is this going' drama. The barter system seemed to work well last time.

He leaned forward, catching my jaw between his fingers, and brushed his lips across mine. "No price, babe."

He put the truck in gear and pulled away from the curb. I stared at him, trying to figure out what the hell that meant. He glanced over at me. "Do you need to pack?"

My mouth dropped open. "What?"

He stopped the truck and put it in park. I glanced around, startled to find us at my apartment building.

"We need to hurry if we're going to beat this storm. Go pack."

"Are you serious? You want nothing in return?" Half of me felt like melting at what had to be the sweetest gesture ever, and the other half was screaming that he took away my opportunity for Ranger-sex without having to make any real decisions about the men in my life. "What happened to being an opportunist? A mercenary?"

"I changed my mind." His gaze darkened and pinned me. "I'm playing for keeps, now."

My eyes widened. "What does that mean?"

"It means, Stephanie—" He hauled me closer and slid kisses along my jaw, punctuating each of his statements, his low voice in my ear. "That the next time you and I make love, it won't be because of a deal or a tab or because you want something." His voice lowered, his lips brushing the shell of my ear now, sending heat searing through my body. "It'll be because you can't live another day without me inside of you."

His lips caught mine, his tongue sliding along the seam of my lips. "The next time, babe, will be forever."

* * *

Mini Chapter 2

I stopped breathing, but it didn't matter because his mouth was moving over mine again, his tongue seeking entrance. I sighed and parted my lips, allowing him in. I concentrated on his tongue as it slid against mine. His fingers slid under my sweater and tightened around my ribs, anchoring me to him and pulling me closer.

I felt a rush gather low in my belly and then shoot outward, leaving behind tingles that stretched from my fingertips to my toes. I shivered under the pressure of it and pushed my body against him. He deepened the kiss, claiming me with his mouth, one hand moving up to my breast. His thumb found my nipple through my bra, adding to the sensations that were almost enough to consume me.

He pulled back and touched his thumb to my lips. He wasn't smiling. His eyes were so dark they were black, and I could swear he was looking right through me, his gaze was so intense.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the sensations still raging through me. My heart was pounding and my breath was choppy. Ranger, of course, seemed entirely unaffected. Without saying anything, he climbed out and came around to the passenger side door.

I climbed out, but the second my feet hit the pavement, my knees buckled. He smiled and grabbed me under the elbows. His lips brushed across my temple, then lingered, before he spoke. His voice was gruff and strained, as if the kiss had effected him more than he let on. "Like I said, next time it's for keeps. So make damn sure you know what you want."

Before I could respond, he pushed me toward the building. I stumbled, but his hands were still on my waist, keeping me upright. My mind was spinning, trying to decipher what he was saying and what he meant. I had to decide? When?

Now?

I was sunk. I should have never started this little game. It never even occurred to me that would respond this way. A simple 'no, I don't want to take you to Bermuda' would have sufficed. That's what I thought he'd say. But 'decide'?

I was sunk.

He walked into the apartment behind me. I was feeding Rex a grape, stalling, trying to figure out what to say or do next, when I heard him on the phone.

"Book two tickets to anywhere in the Caribbean, next flight out, return late Sunday."

I spun around and stared at him. "No," I mouthed, shaking my head. I made little slashing motions against my throat.

Without breaking eye contact, he kept talking into the phone. "Antigua will be fine. Book a suite in Jumby Bay."

My slashing motions turned frantic. He wasn't listening. He hung up and slid the phone in his pocket. "Too late. We have a suite at a resort on a private island, two miles off the coast of Antigua until Sunday night."

"Holy shit," I said before I could stop myself. I was going to owe him, big. It was official – I had gotten myself in over my head. I tried to tamp down the first tendrils of panic clawing through my belly.

He approached me, his eyes never leaving mine. His fingers skimmed my waist and his lips brushed across mine. "No price, remember."

I swallowed hard. "Everything has a price."

His hands tightened and pulled me closer. "Not between us."

"You want me to decide."

"No."

I lifted my eyes to look at him, not understanding, then, what he did want.

He brushed a kiss across my forehead. "I'm not pushing you, Steph." He tucked a curl behind my ear. "If you want a couple days in the sun, I can give you that. What I said—" he leaned closer, his voice lowering to a husky tone that sent vibrations through me. "Is that the next time we make love, I won't let you go. You can have all the time you need to make that decision."

I stared up at him. His eyes were dark, but warm. There was intensity, and something else there that I didn't want to think about. I chewed on my lower lip. He set me back, away from him, and turned me toward the bedroom. "Go pack a bag," he said.

* * *

Mini Chapter 3

I opened the top drawer of my dresser and stared at all the folded lingerie. I didn't see any of it – all I could focus on was the look in his eyes. What the hell did it mean?

I blew out a sigh and shut the drawer before dropping onto my bed in my thinking position. This was ridiculous – I couldn't just run off to the Caribbean with Ranger. That would be dumb. It would be rude to, to expect him to pay for all that without chipping in.

But that wasn't the real reason I was hesitating, and I knew it. I groaned and rolled over, smooshing my face into a pillow, hoping that if I just hid here long enough this would all go away.

Because there was no way in hell I could spend two days in the Bahamans or Aruba or where ever he had booked fights to, with that look in his eyes, without falling in love with him.

I yelled into the pillow and beat my fist against my bed. I was already in love with him! Two days in Antigua wasn't going to change that.

Then why the hell was I still in Trenton? I jumped off the bed, grabbed a duffel bag out of the closet, and started flinging clothes into it. This whole thing had started because I wanted sex with Ranger without having to decide between the Burg and the Justice League. Well, he wasn't letting me have that option, but I was still getting Antigua out of the deal.

And really, who would be dumb enough to turn down a private resort in the Caribbean with Ranger, no matter what he wanted in return?

Not me.

I was packed in record time, having thrown in every swimsuit I own and a couple classy dresses. Just in case.

I dashed to the bathroom, swept everything on the counter into the bag, and barreled into the hallway, skidding to a stop in front of Ranger. "Ready."

He grinned, took my bag, and guided me out the door with a hand on the small of my back.

--rs--

At some point on the four hour flight, I must have fallen asleep, because I woke to fingertips brushing down my arm and lips lingering against my temple.

"Babe," he said, whispering.

I sunk deeper into his chest, my fingers resting above his heart. It was thudding away, slow and steady. He smoothed back my hair and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "The princess is awake."

I groaned. "Don't call me that." The words, creaky with sleep, were muffled in his chest.

Vibrations rumbled through him as he chuckled. "Gotta wake up."

I shook my head and snuggled deeper. My lips were against his neck and he smelled oh-so-good. I took a deep breath and pressed a kiss to the skin under my lips. Under my fingertips, his heartbeat picked up.

I moved my lips again, this time opening my mouth and flicking my tongue over the same spot. His arms tightened around me.

He ducked his head and spoke into my ear, his voice low and gruff. "You're playing with fire, babe."

I let my fingers trail down his chest. "I know."

A ding sounded in the cabin, and a bored, polite voice announced that I had to sit up and return my seat to the upright position. Damn. Slowly, inch by inch, I drew myself off of Ranger's chest.

When I dragged my eyes up to meet his, he was staring at me with that look again. Dark, intense, warm, and…something. I cleared my throat and dropped my eyes. I didn't know what that last something was, and I was pretty sure that I didn't want to know.

I flipped my seat upright, tightened my seatbelt, and tried not to think about the landing. I could feel his gaze on the side of my face, but I didn't look at him. I didn't want to think about that, either.

Ranger leaned over me and opened the window shade. "Look."

I squinched my eyes shut tight and shook my head. Landing was the worst part – there was no way I was looking down while we did it. Ranger chuckled. He twined his fingers through mine and squeezed. "Trust me, babe."

I sighed and glared at him before glancing out the window. "Oh my god!" I leaned forward, pressing my nose against the glass so I could see better. It was sunset in the Caribbean. We had left snowy, dark, sooty Trenton this morning and now we were landing in paradise.

The sky was streaked with shades of purple, red, and orange, all set against a back drop of crystal blue waters and mountains and white sand beaches and sail boats.

My mouth was still hanging open when I turned back to Ranger. He smiled and caught my lips with him. His hand crept around the back of my neck, his fingers ducking under my hair. The pressure of his lips was light, feather soft, inconsistent with the tension in fingers on my neck or his ragged breaths. His other hand was on my hip. As the kiss deepened his fingers squeezed, pulling me toward him.

I was lost, swirling in the sensations that were getting deeper with each imperceptible tightening of his fingers on my hip. I moaned and leaned closer, my hands still resting over his heart. It was pounding now, at rocket speed. He moved his head, kissing in a line across my jaw, then the shell of my ear. His lips closed around my ear lobe, sucking it into his mouth before his teeth scraped over it.

A rush seared through my belly, making me gasp. He drew back and stared at me, a slight smile playing around his lips.

I gaped at him. "What was that?"

His voice was husky, doing nothing to calm my pounding hard and the blood throbbing through my veins. "Pressure."

* * *

Mini Chapter 4

There was a chauffeured car waiting for us when we stepped out of customs. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was starting to realize just how much this little impromptu trip was costing him. First class, direct flight, with an hour's notice, time off work, a resort on a private island, now a chauffeured car.

Somehow, the fact that he was willing to give me all this and get nothing in return made me feel worse.

Two minutes later, the driver dropped us off at a dock. What looked like a small, flat yacht on floaters was waiting, along with a group of resort employees. Two were taking the luggage, one was shaking hands with Ranger, and a short, plump woman, with a smile that took up the whole lower half of her face handed me a warm, damp towel.

"To refresh yourself," she said.

I looked down at the towel in my hands, then up at Ranger. It was official: I was way out of my league.

Ranger must have caught my panic, because he grabbed the towel out of my hands, and handed both mine and his back to the woman. With a hand to my lower back, he led me toward the boat. And because I'm a Jersey girl and Jersey girls can never be out of their league, I stuck my nose up in the air, tightened my grip on my purse strap, and walked onto that odd-shaped boat like I owned the place.

Ranger chuckled behind me. I was tempted to kick him in the shin. Hell, I had been tempted to do that for a while ever since his little _pressure _comment. I'd had enough time while the plane was landing to recover physically, but I could still feel his lips against mine, the squeeze of his fingertips on my hip, the tug of my hair at the back of my neck.

_Pressure_.

He was the one who said he wouldn't sleep with me! Not until I decided between him and Joe. _He's trying to get you to pick him,_ a little voice in my head whispered. Maybe for sex, I said to that little voice. But he doesn't want a relationship. He doesn't want anything permanent.

_Next time we make love, I won't let you go._

I stomped down on the feelings those words elicited, just like I had done when he'd said them. And really, the feminist in me should be offended that he thought sex equated possession. But I wasn't offended – instead there was this little thrill at the thought of Ranger claiming me, keeping me, forever in the Batcave. I stomped that feeling down too.

The whole point of this weekend had been sex without having all these thoughts zipping through my head, without all these feelings, without all this pressure. It was getting more tempting by the second to kick in him in the shin.

"You want to sit outside or in?"

I hadn't even realized we'd gotten on the damn boat. There was a cabin in front of us, with couches. But this was the Caribbean, and why did I want to be inside? "Out, please."

He lead me around a walkway that took us to the front part of the boat, to a set of chairs. "What kind of boat is this?"

"It's a catamaran. The rails," he pointed to the big floater things beneath us, "make it skim the surface of the water, so it's more stable than a speedboat. It's lighter and quicker than a yacht, and since it doesn't sit low in the water, it can go right up onto the beach."

I glanced around. "It still looks funny."

But soon we were moving, gliding through the shallow blue water. The sun was still just peeking over the mountains on the island, casting a warm glow to the already breath-taking scenery.

The air was warm and thick, with just enough breeze from our movement. It smelled like salt and fish and ocean. "This is so much better than Trenton."

Ranger dropped one arm around my shoulders before leaning his head back and closing this eyes. The wind was pulling his hair out of its tie and blowing it around his face. He looked…relaxed. A small, intimate smile played around his lips and the tension that was always present in the lines around his eyes was gone.

Without thinking, I leaned over and brushed a kiss across his lips. He went perfectly sill, but the smile around his lips grew. He didn't open his eyes. It was time to turn the tables. Gathering up what courage I could find, I kissed him again, running my tongue along the seam of his lips.

He wanted pressure? I'll give the man pressure.

Bracing my hands on the arms of his chair, I leaned closer, closer, so close that my breasts brushed across his chest. He still didn't open his eyes, but this time when I kissed him, his lips parted. I slid my tongue inside his mouth, exploring and tasting. Most of his hair had come loose, allowing me to thread my fingers through it and tug.

He held himself still, not responding, leaving me free to control the kiss. Or maybe he was just unaffected. I moved until my legs were straddling his, then lowered myself until I was sitting on top of him.

Nope. He was effected.

I nipped at his lower lip and ran my hands down his chest, savoring the feel and taste and scent of him. It was heady, all combined. Even without him responding, my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it through every part of my body.

Without warning, he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me against him, his rock hard erection straining against me. Then his hands were on my ribs, my breasts; his mouth was on my neck, the movement of his lips and teeth sure to leave a mark. Even through the layers of his cargo pants and my jeans, I could feel him throbbing, pulsing against my already heated center.

When he broke the kiss, he stared at me for a moment. Then he grinned. "Do you think kissing me like that is going to make me cave?"

Yes. "Do you think kissing _me_ like that is going to make _me_ cave?"

He was still grinning, like that was his exact plan. Worse, it was working. Especially when my reasons for holding out were flimsy to begin with.

The boat thudded as it hit the beach. Our island. He picked me up, set me on my feet, and stood behind me while I stared, open-mouthed, at the most exquisite paradise I had ever seen.

He nudged me forward, off the boat, onto the white sand beach. An employee escorted us to the main building, an aged Jamaican-style mansion tucked under swaying palm trees, then to our suite. Our luggage was waiting in a private courtyard, complete with an open view of the sunset sky and a bubbling fountain.

If this kept up, I was never going to be able to shut my mouth again. The suite itself was even more breath-taking. Marble tile floors, warm colors, and most importantly, an ocean view. Opposite the entry courtyard, on the other side of the suite, were two additional courtyards. One contained an outdoor claw-footed tub, in the other I could see a small pool with two lounge chairs. Both courtyards were enclosed on three sides for privacy, leaving the fourth side open to the water.

But I'd fawn over all that later. None of that is what had my heart pounding and my head swiveling around, searching for any sign that my eyes had fooled me.

Finally, I ripped my eyes away from the huge four-poster bed draped with white mesh and turned to Ranger. "There's only one bed."

He had been staring at me, waiting for my reaction. His lips tilted up. "Guess you'll have to keep your hands to yourself."

I waved my hand in what I prayed was a breezy gesture. "Piece of cake."

* * *

Mini Chapter 5

He looked back at the bed. "So what do you would you rather do first?"

My stomach dropped and a squeaking noise escaped me. "First?"

One eyebrow went up and a hint of a wolf grin tilted his lips. "Dinner or the beach?"

"Ohhh."

His smile widened. "If you'd rather--"

"No!" I dropped my bag and grumbled about how big of an ass he was, putting all this pressure on me and not being effected at all by the pressure I was trying to put on him.

He shut the door to the suite and leaned against it, arms crossed and legs outstretched. "Since when are you okay with casual sex, anyway?"

I was poking around the room instead of paying attention to what we were talking about. "Since my shower massager broke last week."

I clapped my hand over my mouth and spun to face him. He was grinning, all 200 watts. "Did Herbie Horsecock break too?"

My face flamed. "Oh god."

"Want me to buy you a new one?"

I groaned. He walked toward me and pried my hands away from my red face. "There is nothing I'd like more," he said, lowering his voice and leaning close, "than to make love to you. I told you before I could make you forget him, and I can."

His arms came up around me and pulled my body flush against his. "But I'm not going to do that."

My breath came in a gasp. "You're not?"

"No. We're going to wait, until you want me as badly as I want you."

I wasn't so sure we needed to wait for that. Me wanting him was not the issue here.

"We're going to wait," he said, his lips brushing my ear, "until there's no more hesitation."

His lips touched mine, feather soft, then gentle pressure making my entire body melt against his. "And, Stephanie…"

"Yeah?" I was working hard to keep up his words instead of focusing on the feel of his lips and his hands.

"There won't be anything casual about it."

My breath froze as my heart flipped over in my chest. "Uh--" But he kissed me, cutting off my frantic and probably inane response. His tongue slid into my mouth, the caress just as tender as his earlier kiss.

There was nothing casual about the kiss either, about the depth of the emotion I could taste, or the pressure of his hands on my waist, or the way my heart was pounding out of my chest.

"So," he said. He brushed his lips across mine once more, twice. "What do you want to do first?"

I dropped my head onto his shoulder. "I need a drink."

--rs--

We had to dress up to go to dinner - this being a fancy resort, they apparently had a dress code. Who follows a dress code on vacation? But to be honest, I was thrilled with the dress code since it meant I got to see Ranger in charcoal dress pants that clung to his ass and a black dress shirt that showed off every muscle he had.

I also got to see his eyes turn black when I pulled that little black dress over my head.

I should go places with a dress code more often.

There were three nightclubs on the island, all with ocean views and open bars and varying levels of thumping music.

"Dance with me," Ranger said, taking the margarita with at least three shots of tequila out of my hand.

"That's _so_ not a good idea."

But he was already leading me out onto the dance floor. He spun me, my entire body brushing against his. "Do it anyway," he said as he pulled me against him.

His hands were on the backs of my thighs, holding me against him. A hip-hop song with a heavy Caribbean beat was pouring through the speakers and it was too easy to let my body relax and move with the music.

The alcohol and the music flowed through my blood, making it thicker, more languid. His body was hard and strong against mine, holding me up with no effort at all as he moved with perfect rhythm.

The lights in the club went off, and a strobe light starting flashing. I couldn't see his face, even as close as we were, expect in snatches as the lights flashed. Images that burned into my memory until the next flash.

His hands slid under the skirt of my dress, up my thighs, until his hands were resting on bare skin just under my ass. He pulled he tighter against him, and his hands slid higher, cupping my ass.

I turned around and leaned back against him as I moved, my hips swaying and my arms above my head. His hands skimmed down my body, sliding against the sides of my breasts my ribs, my waist, my hips. He moved his hands around my body, sliding them down the front of my thighs.

I wiggled my ass, pressing it against his erection. He growled in my ear and spun me around, and I landed hard against him. "Lets get out of here," he said.

* * *

Mini Chapter 6

The cool salt-water breeze and a quick shower had cleared out most of the alcohol and lust induced fog from my mind. I pulled on pajamas - a cute little knit top with matching boy shorts.

Why was I resisting Ranger again? I slid between the sheets that were almost as nice as Ranger's and tried to bolster myself. I had plenty of reasons for resisting him.

Loads of reasons.

Reasons like the fact that I still didn't know what he wanted, not really. Only that he planned to keep me. I ignored the little thrill those words gave me and concentrated on the fact that those words didn't really mean anything. He could be talking about making me his mistress and locking me in a castle.

I snorted at the absurdity of that picture, but it wasn't nearly as absurd as the idea of wedding bells and babies and picket fences.

And then there was Joe. Things were safe with Joe. I could play that 'wait-and-see' game with Joe. Maybe we'd run off to Vegas and get married, maybe we'd just share custody of Bob, maybe we'd split up officially tomorrow, rather than just another off-stage. There were lots of variables with Joe. It was nice - I wasn't locked into anything.

I wouldn't have those variables with Ranger. It was an all-or-nothing equation. I could hold back with Joe. There'd be no holding back with Ranger.

As thrilling as proposition that was, it was also terrifying.

The shower shut off, and Ranger stepped out of the bathroom, wearing only a pair of low-slung silk boxers.

My mouth went dry. I lay there, holding every part of my body still, as he crawled in beside me. The silence was thick and I could swear he was just waiting for me to break.

I did. I blurted out the question that had been bugging me all day. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"It's dark," he said, amusement lacing his voice. "What look am I giving you?"

I rolled my eyes. "All day. You've been looking at me funny all day."

"Funny?"

I kicked him in the shin. It couldn't have hurt since I was barefoot, but he lunged for me, tickling me when he grabbed me around the waist. I squealed and tried to get away, but he was bigger and stronger and before I knew what had happened, I was flat on my back underneath him.

He brushed the hair out of my eyes. "Looking at you like what?" he said, resting his weight on his elbows so he could see my face.

The look wasn't there now. Now it was pure lust. His hips were settled between my thighs, his arousal heavy against my stomach. Heat was spreading through me, starting there and spreading up and out and…

I shoved at his shoulders. "Get off me."

He pushed his hips against mine. Without meaning to I moaned, and my eyes might have rolled back in my head. He was there - right there - and he hadn't been this close to me in so long.

I wrapped my legs around his, resting the soles of my feet on his claves. I was trying to control myself, trying to keep my body still. But of their own volition, my hips lifted and the shift was enough to make his cock slide against my center.

I couldn't help the shiver that ripped through me or the moan that escaped my mouth.

His boxers were thin, such thin silk. The little knit shorts I was wearing and my cotton panties weren't much more of a barrier. He dropped his head and his lips clung to mine for a long moment.

His hands slid down my arms, starting at my shoulders, until his hands clamped around my wrists and he pinned them above my head. His hips pushed against mine again, pulling another whimper from me.

"You said you wouldn't fuck me," I said, my voice sounding breathless.

"I'm not."

He pushed again and heat flooded me, pooling between my thighs. "Oh god you have to."

"No."

My back arched, pressing my breasts against his chest. He smiled, the kind of smile that made me wary of what he was going to do next.

He moved down my body - thank god - taking some of the pressure off of me. I took a deep breath, thankful for the chance to regroup, until his mouth closed over my nipple, right through my little knit top.

My back came off the mattress as a rush so strong it was painful seared through me. Every nerve ending in my body was on fire, pulsing and throbbing. His hands slipped under my top, his palms flat against my stomach and then sliding upward, warm pressure, until they cupped my breast.

My shirt was wrenched over my head out of the way, and then my shorts were being yanked down my body. His teeth closed over my nipple and I swear I almost came, just from that contact.

I wound my fingers through his hair and forgot all about pressure and choices and what anyone wanted from anyone else. His mouth was moving lower, pressing open-mouth kisses on my stomach, my hips.

He ripped off my panties and his tongue touched my inner thigh. I gasped and tightened my grip on his hair. His mouth was a millimeter from where I wanted it, so close I could feel his breath on me.

"Stephanie," he said, his voice no more than a hoarse whisper.

I held myself still, waiting, breathless, for that instant when his tongue would make contact. "Yeah?" I said.

"Did you make a decision?"

* * *

Mini Chapter 7

I yelled something incoherent in protest and scrambled away from him, yanking the sheet over my body as I moved. "That was not fair, at all!"

He smiled. "Never said I was above applying pressure."

I was sending death glares, but he wasn't fazed. Bastard! My whole body was throbbing, desperate, waiting for him, and my anger was doing nothing to combat the raging lust.

He was still sprawled across the bed. I kicked him, catching him the ribs and then the ass. I kept hammering my legs against him in a bicycle kick, until he managed to pin me underneath him, holding me still.

By now he was laughing, full out, which made my anger melt away because who could stay mad at him when he laughed like that? Jerk. I gave him a pissy look and tried to wiggle out from underneath him.

"Babe."

I huffed. "What?"

He was still chuckling. "Nice kick. That's gonna leave a bruise."

"Good. You deserve it." I was trying to stay angry, but his body was pressed into mine, warm and hard and still aroused. And he was still smiling – all 200 watts – a sight that always melted my anger.

"You're an ass," I said.

"Doesn't change the fact that you have a decision to make."

"Yes, but I don't know my options!" I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I know what you're not offering, but I don't know what you _are_ offering."

He brushed a chaste kiss across my lips and rolled us, so we were lying on our sides, our legs all tangled up. He brushed the hair out of my eyes and studied me, the mood changing from playful to serious that quick. "What do you want to know, babe?"

I dropped my eyes. The million-dollar question. But if I just came out and asked – did he mean a relationship? Marriage? Children? – and he said no, what then? Did I want those things? Was I willing to walk away if he didn't? Was I willing to stay if he did? Was I done with Morelli?

I buried my head in his chest. "I don't want to talk about it."

He smoothed a hand over the my hair and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "We have to talk about it at some point."

"This is dumb. All I wanted was sex. I deserve an orgasm."

He chuckled. "We'll get there."

I stiffened when the meaning of his words hit me. Get there? He was sure I'd pick him? Which meant he was sure I was done with Morelli and that he was offering…. "This is supposed to be a vacation. I shouldn't have to make life-altering decisions on vacation."

His lips brushed over my hair again. "Then go to sleep. Tomorrow you can sit on the beach and get some sun. You don't have to make any decisions any time soon."

"Yeah, but I won't get sex until I do."

"Not from me."

My eyes flew to his.

"Or anyone else this island," he said.

"That wouldn't be pretty."

His arms tightened around me. "No."

I cuddled into his chest and tried to go to sleep. At least I was no longer turned on. I needed to remember this trick – if I need to douse lust, just talk about screwed up relationships.

I tried to turn my mind off, but it wasn't working. Images of Ranger and Joe and Bob and Ella and Aunt Rose and Grandma Bella were floating through my head. My mother was hanging around too, giving unwanted opinions. _Go away!_ This was my vacation, and these people were not invited.

If I listened hard, I could hear the ocean outside, the waves hitting the beach. Ranger's breathing was steady and soft, as if he had no trouble falling asleep. There was just a hint of moonlight peaking into the room, allowing me to study his face. Just like earlier today when he had relaxed on the boat, he looked younger, calmer. I liked him like this – a little more open, a little softer. Of course, I thought smiling, I liked him any way I could get him.

I whispered into the darkness, desperate to give vent to some of the questions swirling around in my head. "Are you still fundamentally opposed to weddings and babies?"

I squeezed my eyes shut tight and curled into his chest. The room was silent save for the sound of the ocean for a few long moments. Then he said, so softly I thought I imagined it, "Yeah, I probably am."

* * *

Mini Chapter 8

"Babe."

I squeezed my eyes tighter shut. I felt the edge of the mattress dip, but I ignored him. This was my vacation, damn it, and there was no way I was getting up this early.

"I've got something for you," he said.

"Unless it's an orgasm, go away."

He chuckled. "It's better."

Out of sheer curiosity, I opened my eyes. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of board shorts. His hair was tied back and he was smiling at me. It was a hot sight, but I was still voting that an orgasm would be better.

"Coffee," he said.

The smell hit me at the same time I noticed the mug in his hand. "It'd better be damn good coffee to beat out sex."

"This is just to wake you up."

Grumbling, I reached for the coffee and downed it in one long chug. He threw a pair of khaki shorts and a tank top at me from out of my bag. I was still grumbling as I pulled them on and trailed after him.

It wasn't until we stepped into the courtyard that I noticed that the sky was still dark. Not even the faintest twinge of pink. I planted my feet. "It's not even dawn!"

"You'll thank me, I promise."

I turned around. "No way. Wake me up in four hours."

Without warning, his arms were around my waist and I was flying through the air. Air left my lungs in a whoosh when I landed hard against his shoulder, flung over it like a sack of potatoes. "Hey!" I said, even though my thought was _nice ass._

He set off, through the courtyard and then down toward the beach. I hung there without protest, watching the muscles in his ass move and bunch with each step, until my the blood rushing to my face started making me dizzy. "Okay, I'll walk," I said.

He stopped. "You won't run back to the room if I set you down?"

"Nah." Besides, now I was curious about where we were going, and I would do a lot of satisfy my curiosity. We walked along the edge of the beach, then ducked into a stand of trees that in Jersey would have been called a forest. "You know, I'm not really a nature-hike-before-dawn kind of girl, if you were wondering."

When he didn't reply, I rolled my eyes and trudged after him. His words from the night before kept filtering through my mind, and I kept banishing them back, much preferring my happy state of denial.

And really, who cared if he was opposed to marriage and babies. I was opposed to those things too.

Wasn't I?

"This is a vacation," I mumbled aloud. It was supposed to be full of beaches and water skis and margaritas, not decisions about things like how I wanted the rest of my life to shape up.

"Sometimes," Ranger said, stopping and looking at me, "You just gotta take a risk."

I gaped at him, not sure if he was talking about me or himself or something entirely different than what I had been thinking about. "What do you think?" he said.

"Think?"

He waved his hand behind him. My eyes hadn't budged from his face – or his abs – so I hadn't noticed the view behind him. We were out of the trees now, standing on a tiny patch of white sand. The trees secluded it from view from any direction but the water. Over the crystal blue of the Caribbean, streaks of pink and red and purple had been painted onto the sky.

"Ohhh. Wow!"

He reached into a bag I hadn't even noticed he was carrying and pulled out a blanket. "Come on."

He pulled me down on the blanket in front of him and leaned me back so I was resting against his chest. We sat, with only the sound of the waves breaking a few feet in front of us, and watched an array of colors light up the sky.

His arms tightened around me and he leaned down to speak into my ear. "Wanna talk about it?"

No. Never. But never wasn't going to get all these questions to stop swirling around in my head. But I also didn't want to jump in with both feet. I searched for a safer topic and chose the other question that had been bothering me since this whole thing started yesterday morning.

"Explain this whole no-price thing to me."

His fingers at my waist slipped under the edge of my tank top, warm against my skin. "What's there to explain?"

"You're always giving me all this stuff. You say there's no cost for what we give each other, but you're the one who's always giving," I said, waving my arm around. I shifted so that I could turn my head enough to see his face. "At some point you're going to get tired of taking care of me when I don't give anything back."

He studied me for a moment, the intensity in his eyes enough to steal my breath. "Do you really think you don't give me anything?"

I dropped my eyes. It was that look again. I didn't know what it was – I couldn't bring myself to label it. Because if it wasn't what I was starting to hope it was…. "You give me cars and a place to live and money. There's nothing I could give you to equal all that."

He touched his fingertips to the side of my face, brushing in a line from my temple to my jaw. "You'd be surprised how much you give me," he said, his voice lower than normal.

I wrinkled up my nose. "I don't give you anything!"

"You make me laugh, Stephanie. I work in the midst of human garbage, and you remind me that there are good people in this world. You convince me that there's more to life than security. Do you realize that no one else looks at me the way you do?"

"How do I look at you?"

"Like you have faith in me. Like I'm a person worthy of you."

"Well, of course—"

He put a finger over my lips, stopping me. "You give me hope, Stephanie, and that's worth more to me than anything I've ever given you."

* * *

Mini Chapter 9

I couldn't tear my eyes away. My chest was aching, my heart filled with some emotion that I didn't know what to do with. It was a toss-up between crying and throwing myself on him, but my mind was too muddled to do either. "But you said—"

"I said a lot of things."

His mouth lowered, his lips brushing mine in a tender gesture that only intensified the ache in my chest.

But my head had more protests. I pulled back, just far enough to speak. "But you said that you loved me—"

"I do love you." He closed that slight distance between us, his lips more demanding this time, his tongue sliding across the seam of mine.

"You said in your own way—"

"In every way." His lips were on mine again. He caught my lower lip between his teeth.

"But you said I'm entertain—"

"Because you make me laugh." Again, he kissed me, his tongue darting into my mouth, warm and seeking and enough to make me forget that I had any decision left to make. But I did have to decide. This time when I pulled back from his kiss, I moved my entire body. The distance between us widened as I scooted back until, to my eyes, it looked too wide to ever bridge.

I stared at the blanket beneath us, trying to get up the courage to put a stop to this. My heart was pounding and tears pushed at my eyelids. When I finally lifted my gaze to his, his eyes were dark.

"You said you don't want a relationship. You want sex. You don't want to build a life with me. You don't want to commit to me. You keep saying that I need to make a choice but what options are you giving me?"

He was silent for a moment. "Tell me something, babe. What do _you_ want? Do you want to get married? Have kids?"

"No. Yes. I don't—" I didn't know what I wanted. I knew what I wanted right now – or rather what I didn't want right now – but what about five years from now. Ten?

"Right now," he said. "What do you want now?"

That was an easy question. "You."

His lips tilted up. "And later?"

"You." I frowned. The response was immediate, instinctual. I glanced away, toward the water. The sun was halfway up now, the sky brilliant in its coloring. The water was blue, the sand was white, the breeze was the perfect complement to the warm sun. It would have been a breathtaking sight if I had seen any of it.

But my attention was focused on the man next to me, and on the realization that was just now seeping through me. Was it really that simple? I turned back to him – the look in his eyes was back. "You love me, don't you?" I said.

"I've been saying that."

"No, I mean, you _really _ love me."

He smiled. And it hit me. None of the rest of it mattered. As long as I had him, then all of the rest of it would work out. The job, the relationship, kids, where to live – none of it mattered. "Say, on the off chance, eight years from now, I decide I can't live without a child."

"Then we'll deal with it," he said. "Together."

I launched myself at him. I clobbered him, head on, knocking us both back onto the sand. "I love you," I said, my lips already against his.

He grabbed me by the shoulders and held me still, a few inches away from him. He studied me, and I could finally name the look in his eye. It was a look that said everything: that he loved me, that he wanted any kind of relationship I needed, that I was his world, plain and simple.

"Say it again," he said, his voice low.

"I love you."

That fast he flipped us over, so I was lying underneath him on the blanket. There were palm trees above us, they're movements gentle. I could hear a bird, the waves, his breath. I could feel his heart pounding against my chest and mine beating in the same rhythm.

His lips touched mine and that was all I needed to know that I was exactly where I belonged.

He smiled. "Ever made love on the beach?"

_The end..._


End file.
